Just Broke Up? Blame Twitter

According to HealthDay, too much Twitter can be bad for you…or rather, for your relationship.

“There’s been growing literature that these social networking sites may directly impair communications between partners, and that can lead to increasing jealousy,” said Dr. Scott Krakower, assistant unit chief of psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. “You’re spending a lot of time on the Internet, and that’s taking away from time with your partner.”

Interestingly, problems occurred regardless of how long the people had been in a relationship, and on average, the study’s participants said they used Twitter about 52 minutes a day, five days a week.

There are a couple reasons why this could be happening, Krakower said:

“People become too engulfed in what they’re doing, and that takes away from their other activities,” he said. Krakower added that, “you’re able to see everything they’re doing,” Krakower said. “Maybe you will jump to conclusions too quickly before knowing all the information, and that increases jealousy.”

A Solution?

The study authors noted that sharing a Twitter account may help reduce conflict. Also, it’s important to limit the amount of time you spend tweeting.

“Say, ‘I’m only going to be on this site for a certain amount of time,’ and involve your partner in that process so they agree with what’s happening,” Krakower said.